Take on Another World with My Best Friend Vol. II Ch. 3

The shadowy figure is standing on the windowsill. This person figure is shown to be a female. Akira, Shin, and Ken prepare for a fight. "Salaam, Dakhil. I am not here for a fight. But I heard you were looking for a member of the guild?" "Yeah? How do you know that?" "The Thieves Guild have a vast connection, from a beggar to nobilities" "How can I trust you're from the Thieves Guild?" "Right now, you need to trust me. I wouldn't trust you with guild secrets. But since you were looking for us, there must be something important" "How do you know we're here?" "I was planning to steal the coins you get from Merchant's guild. But someone filled me in that you wanted to see us" The shadowy figure went down from the windowsill and sat down on one of the ottomans. "Then, let's get down to business. How can we help you?" "Right. We heard about the Highway Robbers. How come you guys or the guards doing something about this?" "We have a strict code in the guild. Don't hurt anyone. For the guards, we are currently lacking manpower. Mercia Empire is waging a war on us 2 months ago. They wage war on the Ashnavi kingdom and they won. The Ashnavi Kingdom is now part of the Mercia Empire" "Right. I heard something about this back home, but I can't believe they can do it in a month" "Why is the guild refuses to harm anyone?" "Thieves guild tenet. I can't tell you in detail. That information is above my rank" "Can we do something with the Highway Robbers?" "We can't" "Then take me to your boss. I have a proposition for you" "If you want to do that, I'll have to knock you unconscious first. I can't compromise the hideout" "Fair enough" The shadowy figure threw a sleeping gas inside the room and closed the window from the outside. After waiting for 5 minutes, the gas has completely dissipated. The shadowy figure whistles in a pattern, and in seconds, 2 other thieves appear. They carry the trio to somewhere so dark and damp. From the dampness, it might be a catacomb or a sewer. After a moment passes, they wake up. Their eyes had to adjust to the darkness, except for Shin, who uses his Worldly Eyes. His eyes see everything in the dark, except one person. From the looks of it, this person might be the leader. "Wake up. You said you wanted to see us" "My codename is The Head. I am the leader of this rabble-rouser group. You met my Legs. Now let's get down to business, King Akira" "You know?" "We're not only thieves. We also deal in information. We have The Eyes to thank for that. Now, I believe you want to take care of the Highway Robbers. Is that true?" "Yes. We're leaving this town tomorrow. We would want to dispatch them discreetly" "And why do you want to do that?" "We're on a mission. You found us out before we start our mission. There's no telling if there's a Mercia Spy around. For all, I know you could sell this information to Mercia" "You underestimated us, Lord Akira. We may be thieves, but we love our kingdom. Before the war, we stole from the rich across the country to spread them to the poor here. Now, we used the money we stole to fund the war" "Very noble of you. Now, can you tell us where the highway robber is holding up?" "I can't give it to you for free. We can sell you the information, but you have to pay for it" "How much do you want?" "300 platinum plates, and a free trade agreement between Newlight and Port Haytham" "I'm going to think about this. Can we have a moment?" "Sure" Akira and Shin is looking at each other. They see through each other eyes but don't say anything. "What are they doing, Head?" "I don't know. At this point, just let them" In reality, Akira and Shin are communicating telepathically as part of the party features. "What do you think?" "Fuck, Newlight thrives on export tariffs. Besides, I know that it would reduce our spending, but people are the lifeline of the kingdom. If it isn't protected, we the people will not be happy" "What do you think we should do?" "Pay them extra. We still have 1250 platinum plates. Make a counter-offer" "I think you should represent me in this business deal" "I would, but currently, you are in a position of power. Since you're a king, I'll guide you through it" "Okay" "Tell him exactly what I said: I appreciate your offer, but we're afraid that offer benefits one party. Yours" Akira is facing The Head again. "I appreciate your offer, but we're afraid that offer benefits one party. Yours" "Since you are currently at war with Mercia, I have prepared a counteroffer" "Since you are currently at war with Mercia, I have prepared a counteroffer" "Oh, Let's hear it" "We're fine with paying you the money. But our mission involves Mercia. If you really love your country, then you want this war to end, right?" "We're fine with paying you the money. But our mission involves Mercia. If you really love your country, then you want this war to end, right?" "So, Here's what I'm offering. We'll pay you extra. 500 platinum plates. We'll take care of Mercia. We'll depart tomorrow, so you better prepare a piece of information worth 500 platinum plates" "So, Here's what I'm offering. We'll pay you extra. 500 platinum plates. We'll take care of Mercia. We'll depart tomorrow, so you better prepare a piece of information worth 500 platinum plates" "Are you really working against Mercia?" "Some of my people's family is enslaved by them, including my friend. That's part of my mission" "Tell me your full mission" "If you want to hear it, the rest of you will need to leave" "Why is that?" "This is my condition" The Head stood there for a moment. For him, a piece of information told in secrecy could be really valuable. "Leave us" The Legs disappear into the dark. Shin looks with his Worldly eyes to see there are only four of them. "Right. Tell me what you know" "We are coming to Mercia because we're gathering forces for the upcoming Demons Invasion" "What did you say? Demons Invasion?" "Yeah" "Hehe...HEHAHAHAHAHA!" "Is there anything funny?" "Hahaha I can't believe I fall for this nonsense" "And why is that?" "There's no demon in this world. Demons are already extinct. Mhar Dann kills them all" "We fought one. And it's a devil. And I have the letter here we found this back before Newlight was established" Shin hands him the letter with the signature of El Rey of Mercia. The Head reads the letter. He covers his mouth in shock. "Dear lord. This...This is worse than I thought" "Worse?" "Yeah. League of Red Sky is an ancient order who believes in the absolutism of Demon supremacy. Back when Terra was ruled by the devils, there is a group of humans who supported the demons. If they are present at these times, that would mean what you said is true. They will try to summon the demons. But that doesn't make sense" "What doesn't make sense?" "Mhar Dann, is part of the League of The Red Sky, according to our founder. He wouldn't be a part of them, he eradicated them" "Wait. If he's part of the League, wouldn't you know about it from your founder?" "Because we don't believe him. Toward the end of his life, people start calling him Suleyman The Mad after Mhar Dann's death. I can't believe he's right" "But, what's that got to do with this?" "If League of Red Sky is still here, which means Mhar Dann lied about eradicating them. Gentlemen, If what the letter said is genuine, that means demons have spread all over the world, hidden amongst men. If you held your mission true, please help us win this war. We will help you with your mission" "Don't worry, Head. I will. Can you tell us the situation with the war?" The Head is reluctant about spilling state secrets. But this could mean victory or defeat. The Head decides to tell them anyway. "To be honest, it wasn't good. Our ally, Moravia has been annihilated. We would request reinforcement from Theovan, but I'm afraid it would not be here on time. Our supplies are dwindling, and our men are exhausted. We cannot hold on much longer" "You said you're connected with the nobilities. Do you want to make an agreement with me?" "What agreement?" "I want you to hold on longer. We have to rescue our friends and our people. Contact your friend in the nobility that has the most power. Give them this money to the royal family" Akira puts a small chest on the floor. The Head cast an arcane hand to reach for the box and opens the chest to see a total of 250 platinum plates. "We will buy that information for 250 platinum plates. In exchange, we will clean up the highway robbers and infiltrate Mercia. You can take the treasure of the highway robber, if there's any, and do whatever you want with those. We are in a hurry, so take it or leave it. The fate of Suleyman depends on you" Shin completely guides Akira toward this negotiation and is able to overturn the advantages of the negotiation their way. Now, The Head looks really anxious. The fate of the country now rests on the shoulder of the leader of the thieves guild. "Lord Akira. Can I trust you to do this? Will you assist Suleyman in war and guide us to victory?" "I promise. As God and all of you in this room as my witness, I will assist you in this war" "Thank you. Please, shake my hand so we can complete this vow" Akira shakes his hand and a faint glow from the space between their hands. "What was that?" "It was a Vow of Companionship. It will serve as our contract. If one of us breaks the vow, the oathbreaker will pay the price" Ken, stood up aggressively, but Akira told him to stand down. "But, this is just like slavery" "I don't mind. I told them we will help them, so we would" "Shin. Can't you stop him?" "I would, but he made up his mind. It would be pointless" "At least let me do it for him" "Don't you dare" "Akira?" "This is my promise and mine alone. If you want to help, help me realize my promise" Ken stood there as if he's just been struck by lightning. "Alright fine" "Thank you" "Now, where is the highway robber holding up?" "They are holding up in an abandoned mansion outside, 500 paces northeast from the northern wall" "Alright. We'll be going there. Shin, I need you to go back to the inn for tonight" "What is your angle here?" "We'll be fighting all night. I need you to drive our R...carriage tomorrow" "Hey. We're supposed to be partners" "I know, I'm sorry, but Ken can't drive. Only one of us can" "Why don't you go to sleep?" "I need to make sure this promise is fulfilled" "Alright. Fine. I'll see you tomorrow" The Head calls one of the Legs to carry Shin back to the inn, but before knocking him unconscious with sleeping gas. They have been unconscious for quite some time when the Legs brought them here, they bought Shin back to the inn in the night. Meanwhile, Akira and Ken were guided by the Head to the hideout of the Highway Robbers. They hide behind dunes of sand. "That's the place. There is no one in or out of Haytham, so they must be holed up inside" "Right. We can just go in and kill them" "No, please. No killing. Just knock them unconscious. We'll take them to the guards, and don't forget the things these robbers stole" "Can't you just bring them with you while handing the robbers?" "I'll have to go back to our hideout. Only you two will go inside" "That's not a problem. Go ahead. We'll be done in 30 minutes" "30 minutes?" "I hope so" "Alright. Godspeed, you two" The Head stealthily vanishes, even though there is nothing to hide him, The Head just vanishes. "Alright, Ken. Hold back so we don't kill them" Ken nods. Akira holds onto Ken's shoulder and teleports to the front door of the mansion. The guards patrolling notice 2 unknown figures in front of the door. "Hey! Who are-URK" Ken and Akira punch them in the chest with minimal strength. They enter the mansion and try stealthily to look for the treasures of the robbers, but failed since there are also guards on the stairways. They sound the alarm, and the reinforcement arrives in an instant. Akira set up a physical barrier from the ground surrounding the mansion, so no one would leave. The robbers don't recognize Akira and Ken, since they are wearing their masks. "With all these people, holding back might be hard, Akira" "Let's just use an open palm to attack them" The mansion is filled with sounds. Something breaks, shouts, screams and there are begging. Akira and Ken pay no attention to the begging and knock them all out of their consciousness. They search for the remaining survivor, and find one of the men, bald-headed, trying to break the ground barrier, but to no avail. "Who...who are you?!" "No question" The bald-headed man tries to attack Ken with his axe, but Ken punches it until it shatters. "Nice one" Akira opens his palm and tries to squeeze the air. The ground the bald-headed robber standing on is starting to envelop him. Akira squeezes his palm harder and harder until the ground is enveloping his body tightly. "Please. Don't kill me. Money! Do you want money? Have them, please" "No thanks. We're rich enough" Ken knocks him unconscious by tapping the back of his head. They brought the man who was assumed as the leader of the robbers. Akira creates magnetic handcuffs so they can pull the cuffs apart. "Where's the treasure, by the way?" "I haven't found treasures except for the one he brought" "Alright. I'll try to scan the area" Akira places his hand on the ground and closes his eyes. He senses the area around him. He can only generate a microtremor. Any wider would require a bigger tremor and would risk creating an earthquake. He senses a small room inside a room, but there's a faint presence in the basement. Akira dispels the ground barrier. "Ken. There's a presence in the basement, but I don't know how to get there?" "We can just punch the ground above it, right?" "I hope this will work. It's over here. Please punch them softly, so you would not destroy the whole basement" Ken nods and punches the floor of the main hall. There is a basement, but mostly, it was just a skeleton except for 2 people. They look really pale and skinny. One is a male kid, and the other is an adult woman. "Ken, Do you have water?" Akira opens the gate by ripping the gate off the bars. Ken hands him a water bottle he got from Supermarket in New Miami. "Here, drink this" The boy's mouth wouldn't open. Akira cast hyper healing on both people. They look less pale but still unconscious, Akira opens the boy's mouth and pours the water into his mouth, and Ken pours the woman the water with a second water bottle and they both drink the water. Both of them are already out of danger and breathing normally, but they are still weak. Akira and Ken bring the two to the main hall and set them down on the floor. "I honestly can't sense any treasure" "I do" The Head pops out from on top of the stairs. "The treasure room can be found in a separate building. It's behind the fountain backyard" "Oh, that's why I can't detect it" "Who's the boy and the woman?" "We don't know. They are held captive in the basement. So, who's going to hand them to the authority?" "They are on their way. We took the treasure. We'll be distributing them here and across our network. Integrating them back into the economy" "Sure. Now, we're done here. We'll leave tomorrow. If I don't see you, then goodbye" "Uh, wait. Please wait for the guards to come" "No. I'm done here. You can take responsibility for what's happening here. I'm going to bed. We've got a long road ahead of us" Akira and Ken remove themselves from the mansion. They went back to the Inn, and take off their clothing. They went to sleep. When morning comes, Shin wakes them up. "Hey. Are we going or not?" "Ungh...What time is it?" "It's still 5 Am. We better move fast. Suleyman is not a comfortable kingdom to be traveling in the daytime" "Oh, shit. I almost forgot. Can we stay for one more day? There's something I forgot to tell both of you?" "What is it?" Akira went to wake up Ken first, after Ken woke up, Akira sits on the corner of the bed. "I talked to Alexander yesterday. The only way Ken to be able to party up with us is to evolve him. Since he doesn't have an EXP multiplier, it might take a lot to evolve. I suggest you evolve too, Shin since we need to step up our game if we're to infiltrate Mercia and fights demon in the future" "Alright. We can evolve on our way to Sabea. Right now, we're out of here" "Alright. Let's go. I'll cook breakfast on the road" Akira, Shin, and Ken dress up and checked out of the inn. The sun is still not visible. They walked towards the western gate and after they got far enough from the gate, Akira takes out their RV. Akira, Shin and Ken went inside of the RV with Shin on the driver seat. "Hey. How come you went home early yesterday?" "I overestimate the mission, I thought it would be a brigand. But as it turns out, they're all gathered on the same place" "You could have asked me to come" "I know, I'm sorry. But it would be an overkill, don't you think?" "Ken alone can handle them and it would still be overkill. That's what's going on with us. We're too powerful. With our technology and skills" "Well, I don't mind being too powerful, and I don't think Ken mind it too much" "I'm kinda sitting in the middle here, Akira. Shin is definitely able to kill or incapacitate with one shot. But with that kind of power attracts the wrong kind of attention" "See? Even he thinks being too powerful is not exactly good" "Would you rather be powerless?" "Not that" "Then, why are you complaining?" "Don't you think we're moving too fast? We're not even a year in this world and we are already fighting demons, which no human can do, except three of us. What kind of life we are getting into? Have you ever wondered that?" "I have. But My reasons might be different from yours, or Ken" "Well, our reasons are our own. Right now, we need to worry about Mercia. Powerful or not, we need every advantage to help with the war and prepare for the invasion" "I hate it when you're the voice of reason in this, Ken" "Me too" "Shut it, you two" They all chuckle. The banter between friends nowadays seems not like the usual banter anymore. "Alright. What do you want for breakfast?" Ken replies. "Something Japanese, please" "What about you, Shin?" "Eh, I'm feeling Napolitano today" "Oh yeah, I want that too" "Alright. I'll make some. Any side dish you want?" "Oh, can you add those tuna with them?" "Seems like a good idea. Alright, It might take a while. When the food is ready, park the RV in a secluded area" Akira prepares the ingredient. He boils the pasta first and makes the sauce on a pan. He reckons that the fish by itself might not be suitable for Napolitan, so he breaded them and fry them. Setting aside the Fillet, Akira moved on with the pasta. He sliced the green pepper and stir fry them with the tomato sauce until they are thick enough and has less water. "Akira, what do we have for the drinks?" "Coffee or Tea" "Can it be cold? We are in the desert" "Let me see what's inside the fridge" Akira searches through his fridge. There are beers, cola, cold water, and a cold tea "Beer, Cola, Water, and tea" "I'll have cola" "Tea for me" "Right. We're almost ready. Shin, go park somewhere" Shin looks for a flatland in the desert, but the desert is mostly hills. But Shin manages to find an Oasis, but a handful of people are seen drinking near the pond. "Is that location good?" "Yeah, just park away from them" Shin parks the RV away from the crowd. They went to the dining section of the RV. Akira serves them the Napolitan with fried fillet. Shin spins his fork with a spoon as a holder for the spaghetti and tastes it. "Mmm...Just like high school" "Hang on, it should be right here" Akira searches up on his cabinet and grabs a hot sauce and Parmesan Cheese. "Can't forget these, right?" "You read my mind" Ken grabs the hot sauce and Shin grabs the parmesan. They enjoy the food and finish it, until a knock on the RV's door. Akira opens the door to see a fellow traveler in light clothing, 2 males and one female. "Salaam, Dakhil" "Salaam. How may I help you?" "Uh, I'm ashamed to ask this, but can you spare food? We were robbed by highway robbers and we have nothing left, but our Jamal" "Jamal?" "Our camels" "Oh, right. Please come in. We're just finished our breakfast" The travelers went inside the RV, which made them look fascinated. "Shin, is it alright if I invite them for breakfast?" "Sure thing. Go ahead" "Thanks" Akira invites them to sit down on the chair. The Travelers are served cold tea. They drink the tea slowly. "Ahh. a cold drink in a hot temperature is really bliss" "Would you be okay with a fish?" "Please" Akira cooks a lemon herb tuna for all three of them and serves them with a cold cola. "This drink is fizzy." "And the fish is fresh. It is refreshing to eat this" "Thank you. Would you mind if I ask what are you doing here?" "We're going back to Sabea. We were robbed when we were about to enter Haytham" "Oh, I heard that the bandit has been taken care of" "Even if they are handled, we've no way to recuperate our losses" "Why is that?" "Every fund from every nobility is being used for the war. Our merchant company is on the verge of bankruptcy" "This war took a lot out of you guys, huh?" "Not only money, but my only son is also being drafted for war" "How was he?" "I wouldn't know. I just hope that he's okay" "How old is he?" "15" "So young" The traveler wept a bit, but regain his composure. "You know what? Please have this" Akira opens his item box and gives The Travelers 5 barrels of fish and salt. "What? This much? And the salt is high quality. White, from the looks of it, it doesn't taste bitter" "Please have some. We still have food" "But we can't accept these?" "What's wrong?" "I don't have any money" "I don't want your money. Please think of this as an investment from a stranger for your Merchant Company" "Are you sure?" "Yes. Please take them" "Thank you, stranger. How can I ever repay you?" "Promise me when the war is over, you'll come to trade with Newlight?" "Newlight? Yeah. Yeah, I'll do that" "Thank you" The travelers chat for some more time before one of them decides to leave Akira alone. "Thank you. I hope God blesses you with wealth and health" "Thank you. May your son return unharmed" The traveler bows and exits the RV. Akira, Shin and Ken drive off. Shin is on the driver's seat. "Something doesn't add up" "What's up Akira?" "They never asked for my name once. They might already know who we are" "Oh I hadn't noticed" "For now, let's just get to Sabea, Fast" "Right" Shin zoomed out of the oasis and drives towards the road to Sabea. "Shin. When we're far away from them, stop" "Okay" Shin drives off, stepping his foot to the pedal. Once he's far enough and his worldly eyes pick up nothing, he stopped in the next oasis. "We're safe" "Great. Shin, Ken. Go ahead and evolve. Let me put an illusion barrier and a magic wall so no one spies on us" Akira went outside of the RV. The air is really hot, and the only saving grace is the humidity of the oasis. Akira cast an area of illusion and magic wall so no one would enter the area. "So, how much do we need to evolve?" "Alexander doesn't say. Our best bet is to use a lot at once. We have 300 platinum plates, why don't you use 100 each?" "That's a lot" "We don't know for sure. Level Up Fatigue is a thing in this world, so if we're using it coins by coins, it would take a long time" "I agree with Akira, Shin. We can easily make a lot of money with you with us, so we can level up until we've evolved" "I'm just worried. When Akira evolved he evaporates a whole lake. We only have one pond and it's even smaller than the lake" "Alexander said everyone evolves differently, based on their personality and state of mind. You evolved but nothing happened, is because you're calm and cool" "What about Ken?" "I don't know. But we need to find out" "Right. Do you know how to evolve Ken?" "I have the idea in mind. I'll go first" Shin takes out his medium chest and takes 100 platinum plates. He prays to Alexander for evolution. "In the name of Our Lord Alexander and His Lord, I present you an offering for my wellbeing. May this money brings prosperity for those who need it, and may we keep earning to spread it ourselves" The coin pouch disappears and Shin body starts to glow. "Ooh, I'm starting to feel it" "How do you feel?" "Relaxed, like my whole body is wrapped in cotton. I need to sit down" Shin sits down in the dining section. "Are you able to evolve Ken?" "I think so. Ken, grab a hundred and sit in front of me" Ken grabs a hundred and places it in his pouch. "You ready? Once you evolve, you cannot go back" "I'm ready" Ken place his money on his palm. "In the name of Our Lord Alexander and His Lord, I present you an offering for our friend's wellbeing. May this money brings prosperity for those who need it, and may he keep defending people with his strength" The money disappears, but as soon as the money disappears, Ken feels discomfort around his limbs. He tries to resist the pain, but in his effort to resist the pain, it turns him into mania. He's screaming and jumped out of the RV. As soon as his feet touched the ground, the dirt, sand, and dust envelop him in layers. Dirt first, then sand, and all kinds of dust, including the dust of diamonds. His body is hardened and the evolution made him into a statue. "Ken!" Shin tries to break him free with his magic. "SHIN, STOP! You'll undo his evolution" Shin stops dead in his track. "We just need to wait him out. Let's bring him inside and wait for him to come back" "But..." "We need to respect his effort to evolve. I know the pain he's experiencing, but it shouldn't last long" "Alright. If you say so, then I could only wait" "Trust me, it will pass" The morning sun is visible, they have no choice but to continue their journey. They speed up as fast as they can. Since the illusion magic is in effect, to the passerby, they looked like a sandstorm out of nowhere. By noon, Shin and Akira reached Sabea, but they stopped far enough so no one at the gate could see them. "Hey, He hasn't finished. Should we worry?" "No. He will be up in 3...2...1" The dust that envelops Ken, layer by layer started to fall down. Ken looked really confused about what happened. "How did you know?" "I keep track on his evolution by using his internal clock. Maybe you can see them with worldly eyes?" Shin tries to look at his worldly eyes and looks at Ken's "Internal Clock". Whatever he had before, it had reset to 0 "Wha-I feel really weird" "You have been baptized. You are renewed. Look at your status" Ken looks at his status and he was reset to level 1. "WHAT!" "Reset back to 1, right? Don't worry. You are stronger than before after you evolved. Go ahead. Pick your evolved Class class now" Ken looks at his status, in his fighter class, there is a "Completed" sign beside it. He scrolled through advanced class on his level-up menu and one class stood out to him. "I guess I'll pick Battle Master" "Great. You pick your class too, Shin" ' Shin looks at his status and sees that his Gunslinger class is completed. For now, he chooses "Magic Marksman". "What does magic marksman do?" "What does it say?" "It says 'Magic Marksman is a class for a magician and a gunslinger who cannot choose between them, so you could do both. Flow your magic into the gun and the bullet will be shot based on your magic preferences. Now aim and shoot some firearms. You know you'll never miss'" "Oh, maybe you can shoot a fireball out of the gun?" "Woah, that's sick" "Alright. We're losing daylight here. Let's get out of the RV and enters Sabea" All of them went outside of the RV and Akira puts the item back into his Item Box. They walked through the gate, but there's no guards to greet them. "Are they really lacking person in this war?" "They must be" As they went past the road, there are a lot of former soldiers, injured and famished. Store closed down and some of the building is in ruin. "It's bad here" "Yeah. We better find an inn first" Shin looks with his worldly eyes to see where the inn is and found that the only inn available is on the plaza. They went there and the inn looks so empty. No souls are present except for the innkeeper. "Good Afternoon. Welcome to Khadija's. For a night?" "Yeah" "It'll be 20 gold per night" "Whoa. Why is it so expensive?" "I apologize. Due to the current state of our kingdom, the tax has been raised" Akira paid the inn for a night and they went into the room. The room is dusty and creaky. "20 gold per night for this?" "Hey, we can't blame them. They are at war" "I know. We need to end this war as soon as possible" "Right. Tomorrow, we will cross the border. Right now, we rest"